Vermont Intervention Model for Extra Curricular Activities

This model understand the pivotal role that extracurricular activities play in a student’s holistic development, fostering their talents, skills, and passion outside the classroom. The framework is designed to provide a comprehensive approach to creating safe spaces through intervention strategies, ensuring that every student has access to a wide range of enriching opportunities.

VPA Representative: Mike McRaith

Dear House Education,

Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this issue again in this session. Your attention to our public school educator workforce is vitally important. There are many important issues that need your support in Vermont education, and I believe that this one is as fundamental as any. Without attending to the workforce shortages, other efforts and initiatives will lack the foundation necessary to make progress. I especially appreciate the opportunity to speak to recommendations on H.416 to include attention and resources to diversifying our public school educator workforce. In that regard, I remind house education of the testimony given on February 24th from Mikaela Simms, Jonathan Phipps and myself.

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Testimony in House Education for Diversifying the Educator Workforce & Youtube Version 2/24/23

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My recommendations for edits to the current version of H.416 are as follows

Section 1: Vermont Teacher Forgivable Loan Incentive Program

● Page 3, in the list of determining students eligible for student loan forgiveness there is no mechanism to prioritize financial need. It only requires that a student has completed the FAFSA. The FAFSA is its own hurdle for marginalized populations. That aside, the current language leaves the possibility that a college student with low financial need may be considered at the same priority as a college student with high financial need. Please add, “Prioritization will be given to applicants with demonstrated financial need”.

● Page 4, line 5: list out which schools in Vermont are considered an “eligible school”, and recommend including Spark in that list.

● Page 5, line 19, 20: add “outreach and specific support for engaging in the program to underrepresented demographics in the educator workforce”

● The funding is to come from the general fund. Here is some estimated math on the number of students this could serve.

2,500,000 -175,000 fiscal agent (7% to VSAC) = 2,325,000 in FY24
UVM in-State Tuition for 30 credits = $16,280
This means that the current FY24 proposed appropriation could serve 143 students with one year of tuition forgiveness at the in-state UVM tuition rate. If that appropriation must account for all four years, it serves around 35 students. This does not account for the out of state tuition rate or variance in cost among eligible Vermont education prep programs.

Section 2: Peer Review Support Grant Program; Report

● Change the heading of the section to “Non-Traditional Pathways Program”. The abbreviated rationale is to expand the possibility of creativity and flexibility in supporting peer-review and other strategies and pathways.

● Page 5, Lines 11 to 16 to read (edits in green)
(1) Program creation support. In fiscal year 2023, there is established the Peer Review Support Non-Traditional Pathways Grant Program, to be administered by the Agency of Education, to provide grants to develop expand support, mentoring, data collection, and professional development to prospective educators seeking licensure through the Agency of Education’s peer review process Non-Traditional Pathways including Peer Review, Transcript Review, Emergency, Provisional, and Apprentice pathways with the goals of increased program completion rates and increased rates of licensure for underrepresented demographics.

● Page 6, Line 1 and 2: peer review program non-traditional pathways the support necessary for successful completion of the peer review process by providing following but not limited to:
Line 13: Peer Review Non-Traditional Pathways

Section 3

● No changes. Ending the fees will help reduce barriers for marginalized populations

Section 4

● Strike, The Standards board has already achieved 50 state reciprocity

New Section

Diversifying the Educator Workforce

In addition to the above edits to improve access and support for diversifying the educator workforce, I am proposing the following additions to the bill under a new section.

A) The Agency of Education will collect demographic information from educators with transparency of its expressed purpose of improving the longstanding and well documented issue of under-representation of educators of color in Vermont. The Agency will be provided with necessary appropriations to collect and analyze the given data.

B) (Testimony needs to be heard from the Agency of Education regarding their current upcoming report from APA on metrics of current educator workforce issues in Vermont and in regards to what they need in order to achieve this data collection).

C) Dedicated Personnel at the Agency of Education (and necessary appropriation for grants and budget) to focus on supporting Educator Workforce issues, with specific attention to Diversifying the Educator Workforce. This role will be a new role, with a budget and job responsibilities to include:

• Building and maintaining a Teach Vermont educator recruitment website along the lines of https://connecticut.teach.org/
• Serving as collector of recruitment and retention best practices for districts to reference
• Lead and network statewide efforts and convenings to meet the goals of sustaining educators of color as recommended by the Vermont Educators of Color Association.
• Convene networking opportunities on regional and local initiatives on workforce development programs to work collectively and collaboratively.
• Lead a group of representative stakeholders for statewide recommendations for continued development and comprehensive programming on recruitment and retention of educators, including educators of color.
• Lead a grant process to support existing and developing relevant affinity groups in the state.

Total Recommended Appropriation $400,000 for FY2024.

In addition to the above technical recommendations to H.416 I recommend:

● The bill will be reviewed by additional stakeholders with additional testimony, with
special attention to educators of color in Vermont.

● I recommend discussion and legislative action and a significant appropriation for the implementation of ACT 1 of 2019. In countless research papers and in countless conversations with educators of color–attending to the environment is as important as anything in recruitment and retention efforts. The recommendations of the ACT 1 working group to the Educational Quality Standards, if/when adopted, will provide an excellent opportunity to attend to that environment. Roll out and adoption by local districts will need statewide leadership in professional learning in order to do so with fidelity.

Testimony: House Education

Topic: Diversifying the Vermont Educator Workforce

Date: 2-24-23

VPA Rep: Mike McRaith, Associate Executive Director

“A growing body of research demonstrates the positive impacts of teachers of color on short- and long-term academic outcomes of all students. For students of color, the research finds that having just one teacher of color at any point between kindergarten and third grade can boost academic achievement, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment rates (Dee, 2004; Gershenson, 2018). Nationally, students of color represent 50% of total public K-12 enrollment, and by 2060, that number will climb to 66%. Yet, people of color currently make up only 20% of the educator workforce (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). The imperative is clear: A racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse educator workforce is vital to closing the inequitable gaps that persist between students of color and their White peers.”1

1 Opening paragraph and graph are taken from the Diversifying the Educator Workforce Collaborative Regional Landscape Snapshot of March, 2022. Authored by the Great Schools Partnership. (Link to Document)

The research on the importance and effectiveness of learning that goes along with diversifying the educator workforce has been known for decades. There is a positive impact for all students and the positive impact on students of color is particularly profound. Vermont has an increasing percentage of youth of the global majority, while our educator demographic remains around 97% white. In my role at the Vermont Principals’ Association, I’ve tried to take and initiate every meeting possible on this issue over the past three and a half years. In countless meetings and conversations, I’ve yet to meet anyone who disagrees about its importance and need, yet there is no comprehensive programming to address the challenge. Of specific importance are the hours that I have spent in conversation with longtime Vermont educational leaders: Mikaela Simms, Bonnie Johnson-Aten, and Lashawn Whitmore-Sells. Their leadership, lived experience, and insights significantly inform my thinking and communicated ideas here.

Key Learnings About the DEW Landscape:

● There have been many localized attempts in past decades with mixed results but no significant change.

● There are several small-scale pockets of effort in some districts and educational non-profit organizations, some regional convening efforts, some regional official reports.

● Despite the clear and longstanding need to diversify the educator workforce, I know of no official state-level effort (ever?) to address the fact that our population is becoming more diverse while our educator workforce is not.

Recommendations

● Require demographic data to be collected and reported. At this time, to my knowledge, Vermont does not collect demographic data on our educator workforce. Thus, we actually do not have a clear picture of when the numbers go up or down, no way to see longitudinal data. This needs expectations and resources to meet that expectation.

● Have dedicated and committed leadership to diversifying the educator workforce. There is no department, no task-force, no project management, no sprint team, no job role that is currently asked to focus on this issue at the state level. There is nobody connecting the dots between grassroots efforts, providing state convenings, building partnerships, providing research, or resources on best practices, nobody recruiting, nobody to advocate for appropriations, etc.

● Attend to the Environment. The issues that are impacting the educator pipeline and educator retention are true for educators of the global majority as well. In addition to those baseline challenges are the micro and macro aggressions experienced systematically and routinely by educators of global majority and other marginalized identities.

• Follow the Recommendations Provided by the Vermont Educators of Color Association: Vision Document for Sustaining Educators of Color in VT
• Fund a coordinated implementation of ACT 1 of 2019 to improve key knowledges, community engagement, equitable policies, representative curricula, instructional practices, educational access, and related educator professional learning.
• Coordinate a network of support: utilizing some of the existing grassroots efforts for educator affinity spaces (existing examples) and expand with concentrated hours, funding, and focus.

● Incentivize and Support the Pathways. The various potential pathways include: retention, recruiting out of state, youth in state, licensing access (e.g. multiple languages), adult-ed programs, peer-review incentives, and university students. Each of these pathways could have its own programming, leadership, and appropriations. With that said, based on my discussions over the past several years, I suggest the two follow areas of focus:

• Retention (see above on environment)
• University Programs: I believe that a collaboration is possible between public pk-12 districts, Vermont teacher prep programs, philanthropy, and the state (AOE, Office of Racial Equity, or Dept. of Labor) to strengthen recruitment and placement. I believe a program that provided some targeted recruitment, loan forgiveness, early mentoring, and retention bonuses would lead to a sustained increase in our percentage of educators of the global majority.

● Advocate for Long-Term Statewide Commitment & Investment. Attending to the clear need to diversify the educator workforce is important and is only one area of needed attention on the need to improve racial equity in Vermont. This area would be more well supported by a comprehensive and long-term commitment by the state as whole, along the lines of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan from the State of Oregon (for example).

Additional Testimony to Consider: I recommend the following people/groups for additional testimony and perspectives. I can connect you directly as needed/wanted.

● VPA Member and Burlington school administrator, Bonnie Johnson-Aten. Bonnie leads the VPA affinity group, “A Place of Our Own” for school leaders of color in Vermont

● The Vermont Professionals of Color Network

● Jess DeCarolis at the Agency of Education who co-authored the study from 2019.

● DEI coordinator in the Champlain Valley School District, Lashawn Witmore Sells, who has been active in Diversifying the Educator Workforce initiatives in Vermont for the past 15 years

● A representative from the Vermont Office of Racial Equity

● Representatives from the ACT 1 Working Group with lived experience as an educator, student, and/or parent

● Carolyn Weir, Executive Director at the McClure Foundation

Listed and Related Resources/Information

● Great Schools Partnership & Barr Foundation: Diversifying the Educator Workforce Collaborative–Call to Action

○ 2019-2020 Report: Increasing the Racial, Ethnic, and Linguistic Diversity of the Educator Workforce. Note the Promising Practices Throughout (e.g. pages 10, 12, 14, 17)

○ 2022 Diversifying the Educator Workforce Regional Landscape Snapshot

● Known Affinity Spaces for Vermont Educators of Color

● Vision Document for Sustaining Educators of Color in VT (spring, 2022)

● 3 VPA Podcast Episodes on Diversifying the Vermont Educator Workforce

● Spark Teacher Educator Institute

● The VPA is working with the McClure Foundation to bring NEMNET for professional learning to VPA membership

● New DEW Grant launched at the Rowland Foundation

● VT Partnership for Fairness & Diversity provided Recommendations for Recruitment & Retention of Educators in Vermont

● VPA Statement on Educator Workforce 11-4-22

● Educator Workforce Brief from VSA, VPA, & VSBA 3-3-22

● https://colorado.teach.org/ & https://connecticut.teach.org/

● VPA Survey to Members of Work Force Issue, May 2020

● Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan from the State of Oregon

MONTPELIER – Seven standout student-athletes, three successful coaches, one outstanding administrator and one excellent official have been selected for induction into the Hall of Fame for the Vermont Principals’ Association in May. Since the creation of the Hall of Fame in 2001, the VPA has honored more than 280 student-athletes, coaches/advisors, administrators, officials, media members, and contributors for their efforts on behalf of students across Vermont. Below is a list of the new inductees with brief biographical information on their outstanding achievements and strong sportsmanship through involvement with VPA activities.

Coach/advisors:

Dan Gandin of Leyland, North Carolina was a successful basketball coach for 40 years. He won four high school state titles with U-32. His coaching record is 634-257, making him the winningest high school basketball coach in Vermont history.

Richard “Dick” Wilcox of Mendon was a basketball coach at Proctor from 2000-2012. During that time, the teams he led won five state Division IV championships, including a 95-game undefeated streak. He finished with a 200-68 record and was recognized as the Division IV Coach of the Year on two occasions.

Jay Wilson of Rutland Town has been coaching for 48 years. He has primarily coached basketball and soccer at Mill River, Rutland, Proctor, and Fair Haven. While at Mill River, he was the assistant coach for a Division II state soccer championship in 1985 and basketball state championships in 1982 and 1989. Wilson was Division II boys’ basketball Coach of the Year in 1989.

Official:

Paul Trono of St. Albans has officiated Vermont High School Football and Vermont High School Lacrosse for 50 years. He was one of the first lacrosse officials in Vermont. Trono is considered a top official with numerous playoff assignments and state title games. He has served various functions with the Vermont Lacrosse Officials Association Executive Board including serving as Secretary/Treasurer. He continues to teach Hunter Education as a volunteer with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Administrator:

Bob Johnson of Danville served as Associate Executive Director of the VPA for 19 years. Before joining the VPA, Johnson served as a guidance director, coach, athletic director, principal and was active on VPA committees before joining the association full time. Under his leadership, Dance, Ultimate Frisbee, Bass Fishing, Bowling, Snowboarding, and Unified Basketball all became VPA-sanctioned sports. He also began the Scripps Spelling Bee program, brought the Geo-Bee to Vermont and started the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. In his time with the VPA, Johnson helped lead interscholastic activities focused on sportsmanship and increased access to safe and meaningful learning opportunities for all students. Over the last two decades, he has been the face of VPA sports.

Student-athletes:

Meredith Bagley of West Hartford, Connecticut was an outstanding three-sport student-athlete for Rutland High School. She was a four-year starter for the soccer and softball teams, earning all-state honors in both as a senior (1995), while skiing alpine in the winter season. She led RHS to alpine team championships in 1993 and 1994 with dual individual championships in slalom and giant slalom each year. Bagley went on to play both soccer and softball at Harvard University.

Riley Blankenship of San Antonio, Texas was a standout track and field and basketball student-athlete for Lyndon Institute, class of 2012. Blankenship was a two-time state champion in both the shot put and javelin, and also won a state crown in the discus. She went on to be part of three national champion rugby teams at Norwich University.

Rebecca Bright of Springfield, Virginia was a star student-athlete for South Burlington. She was an all-star field hockey goalie and reached the Final Four each season as a basketball player, including winning a state title her senior year (‘91). Bright reached over 1,000 career points. She was a state champion in shot put and discus in ‘94 and ‘95, competing in the New England track and field championships three years in shot put and discus and one year in the triple jump. She received a full scholarship to play basketball for the University of Rhode Island becoming the program’s third leading scorer in program history with 1,665 career points. Bright is in the South Burlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Joe Shield of Avon, Connecticut was an exceptional student-athlete for Brattleboro Union High School class of 1980. Shield is considered one the best three-sport student-athletes in Brattleboro school history. He played basketball, was a standout football quarterback when Brattleboro went to the state championship in 1978. Shield was a .400 career hitter in baseball. He was the Vermont Shrine football Co-Captain (1980) in the victory vs. New Hampshire. After high school, Shield was a multi-sport athlete in college, where he threw for over 6,600 yards at Trinity College (CT), and was a member of the Green Bay Packers in 1985 and 1986.

Bruce Stryhas of Ludlow was an outstanding three-sport student-athlete for Black River High School class of 1962. Stryhas played soccer, was a great pitcher and hitter in baseball, and really shined on the basketball court. He was Black River’s first player to score over 1,000 career points, leading Black River to three appearances in the final. Stryhas was a great passer as well, he had 21 assists in one game. He went to the University of Connecticut for one year before transferring and being a standout starter for some of the top St. Michael’s College teams.

Ashley Valley of Avon Lake, Ohio was a remarkable student-athlete in the class of 2001 at Rice Memorial. Valley helped lead Rice to two straight undefeated seasons and three Division 1 Girls State Basketball Championships, scoring over 1,000 career points. She was also a striker for Rice’s Girls’ Soccer Team, leading the team to both a D1 and a D2 State Soccer Championship. At the time, she set the all-time record for goals scored at Rice. She went on to play basketball at the University of Connecticut and was a member of three national champion teams.

Morgan Valley of West Hartford, Connecticut was a star student-athlete for Rice Memorial High School in the class of 2000. In her time, Valley helped lead the team to two straight undefeated seasons, scoring over 1,000 career points. Valley was a standout soccer goalie for Rice, which won the Division I state soccer crown her as a sophomore and in a shutout in the title game as a senior. Considered by some as the most accomplished basketball player of all time from Vermont, Valley went on to play 108 games and was a part of three national championship teams at the University of Connecticut.

Induction Dinner & Tickets are Available Now:

The VPA Hall of Fame class of 2023 will be formally inducted on Friday, May 12 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Montpelier. Social hour begins at 5 p.m., a buffet dinner at 6 p.m., and the induction ceremony at 6:45 p.m. Tickets for the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony can be purchased through the ticket order form on the VPA website or by calling the VPA office at (802) 229-0547. Tickets are $50 each.

Each year, nominations are accepted throughout the year from the general public to honor those that have helped with sports and activities at VPA-member schools. The VPA’s Hall of Fame Committee considers the nominations based on the criteria outlined on the website. For more information about the nomination process, the criteria for selection, the current listed of inductees, the committee, and more, see:

The VPA reinforces the importance of taking any and all reports and incidents of racism very seriously. In partnership with our schools, the VPA has worked to shine a brighter light on the importance of reporting and intervening than ever before. In conjunction with student-athletes, fans, and schools–that brighter light means seeing more, and the need to face the long-standing systemic racism that presents as implicit bias, as “jokes”,
and at times, as horrible slurs and hate speech. The significance of the damage that racism causes to those targeted can not be understated, nor can the damage it does to our communities at large.

Interscholastic activities hold an important role in our communities. Teams can bring their school communities together around shared values such as dedication, learning, teamwork, and belonging. Interscholastic activities are also often the events that the broader community joins as fans, interacting with one another, and engaging with members of neighboring communities. When learning, positive encouragement, and empathy are centered, these events can serve as wonderful opportunities for community building within and among towns around the state.

Interscholastic activities do not happen in a vacuum. They depend on and are a part of the whole. Each event relies on families/guardians, coaches, officials, athletic directors, teachers, school administrators, friends, and community members. Any problems “at the event” are collective problems for us each to work to address together. And with that in mind, the VPA provides the following reminders:

● The VPA expects the Pregame Statement to be read at each event with the corresponding
possible interventions and restrictions fully applicable to schools and teams.
● All coaches and officials are expected to complete the NFHS Implicit Bias Course
● The Reporting Form is open and active year round
● VPA Guide to Good Sportsmanship
● Bench Bad Behavior Public Service Announcements from the NFHS

Furthermore, we recognize and honor the long history of American athletes’ courage in bringing attention to vital social justice causes, helping advance our society toward a more just and equal democracy. Here in Vermont, several high school-aged teams have recently decided with their schools to forfeit games or reschedule.

For clarity sake, a forfeit means:
● A loss for the team opting to forfeit
● A loss for a team required to forfeit due to rule violations
● The loss will impact overall team records and playoff rankings
● Schools who opt to reschedule may do so in partnership with member schools

Student-athletes will always have the autonomy to refuse to play. And, there are other ways to bring attention to the importance of addressing racism and its impact. In the past few weeks, there have been several examples of schools working together to talk, listen, learn, take protective measures, find collaborative ways to protect student-athletes, and bring attention to the harm of not just personal acts of racism, but the damage racism causes to our communities as a whole. Interscholastic activities provide the chance for unification in shared commitments to learning, growing empathy, and building safe environments to help end racism in each of our communities not just in interscholastic activities but throughout each aspect of our school and broader communities.

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA), the Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA), and the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) announced the receipt of a grant award of $150,000 from the Vermont Community Foundation and Barr Foundation in early 2021. An additional award of $100,000 was provided in early 2022 to continue the collaborative work of the three associations. And a third award of $30,000 was granted in August of 2022 to extend the equity mini-grants in local districts/schools. The total amount granted is $280,000. The grant funds support work by the Associations to promote equity, inclusion, and antiracism in communities statewide and is part of the Vermont Community Foundation’s Welcoming, Equitable and Antiracist Communities Recovery Initiative. The initial goals of the investment and spending outline were developed with stakeholders in collaboration with the Associations’ staff and with input from a survey distributed to all members of the given associations.

This newsletter serves as an update from VSBA, VSA, and VPA to our members on the shared work of supporting education communities to improve equitable practices and outcomes for all of Vermont students specific to this philanthropic investment. At the end of this grant update, we also included some closely related work and resources that were not specifically funded with these investments, but have significant overlap.

Contents:

• Mini-Grants to Support Local Changemakers
• On-Demand Consulting Services with Insight Education Group
• Vermont Superintendents Association On-Demand Consulting & Member Professional Learning Services with Outright Vermont
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Sports and Activities
• Vermont School Board Association Summer Intern
• School Board Policy Review in Support of Equity, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion
• Subgrant Award to the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont
• Act 1 of 2019 Ethnic and Social Equity Studies Standards Update
• Model Policy on Nondiscriminatory Mascots and School Branding
• Community Navigator Pilot Program
• Equity Problems of Practice Consultancy Meetings
• Affinity Spaces and Networking Opportunities
• Resources

Mini-Grants to Support Local Changemakers

School-Based Mini-Grants

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA), Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA), and Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) announced the Equitable, Anti-Racist, and Inclusive Education Communities Mini-Grant in January 2022.

The 2022 mini-grant program had 41 applications! The applications were from around the state and demonstrated impressive interest and commitment to equity in our school communities. Selections were made in part to be representative of the various projects, stakeholders, and geographic areas of the state. Five applications were selected at the $5,000 range, and thanks to additional funds being made available by the Vermont Community Foundation, an additional 10 applications were selected to receive $2,500 grants. The total investment in the winter of 2022 distribution of min-grants was $50,000. An opportunity to extend this investment was shared in the fall of 2022, with an additional $18,000 distributed for a grand total of $68,000 currently distributed directly to local equity projects.

The school-based equity mini-grants had the goal of providing direct and meaningful support to local changemakers. A secondary goal was to provide examples of ideas, innovations, and collaborations for other school communities to learn from. Recipients have begun to develop their stories that will be shared with VSBA, VSA, and VPA in the upcoming months.

Some of the projects funded by the grant program include but are not limited to:

• Affinity groups and task forces to support BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth
• Culturally responsive curriculum building with the Clemmons Family Farm
• Deeper conversations for schools and students about the Abenaki culture and traditions of respecting and protecting the environment and Mother Earth with the Abenaki Arts and Education Center
• Books that champion anti-racism, inclusion, and equity
• Community Juneteenth celebration

School Board-Focused Mini-Grants

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA), Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA), and Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) announced the School Board Equitable, Anti-Racist, and Inclusive Education Communities Mini-Grant in August 2022. Applicants were asked to describe how their proposed projects aligned with the anti-racist and inclusive mission of the grant project as well as with VSBA’s Essential Work of School Boards Framework.

The 2022 school board mini-grant program had 19 applications! Six applications were awarded at $5,000, for a total investment of $30,000 of mini-grants at the local school board level.

Projects funded by the grant program included:

• Board training on educational equity and impacts of systemic institutional bias
• Creation of a shared vision for equity
• Improving community engagement practices
• Development of procedures for a recently adopted equity policy
• Policy review through an equity lens

On-Demand Consulting & Member Professional Learning Services with Insight Education Group

To assist VSBA, VSA, and VPA members with ongoing conversations in their communities related to equity and related topics, the associations entered into a partnership with Insight Education Group (IEG) in the fall of 2021 to develop resources (talking points, community engagement best practices, communication strategies, etc) as well as provide real-time thought partnership to superintendents, administrators, and school board chairs.

Insight Education Group has offered consultation for board chairs, superintendents, and central office leaders related to equity audits, budgeting with equity in mind, affinity and brave spaces, running effective board meetings when equity and anti-racism is the focus, and engaging with the community.

Consultation with Insight Education Group Request Form

(These services will end on December 31, 2022.)

In addition to the on-demand consultation and regularly scheduled support for superintendents, Insight Education Group has collaborated with the associations to provide professional learning opportunities to our members. You can view an archived video of the March 2022 webinar for members or attend the upcoming, Navigating Challenging Conversations to Improve Educational Equity on December 13, 2022 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. The target audience is board members, school district leaders, and building leaders. Webinar participants will have an opportunity to:

• Learn about specific tools to navigate conversations successfully
• Practice using tools to work through scenarios
• Learn from colleagues who are facing similar challenges
• Share experiences and ask questions of the facilitators and each other

Registration for this event is currently closed. Please email Chelsea Myers at cmyers@vtvsa.org if you would like to attend. The recording for this event will be available to members following the session.

Vermont Superintendents Association On-Demand Consulting & Member Professional Learning Services with Outright Vermont

Outright Vermont and VSA are partnering beginning January 2023, offering small group and individual consultation meetings with district leaders and two opportunities for Q&A with Superintendents during the school year (February 7 at noon & April 4 & noon; virtually). At this critical juncture in Vermont’s educational landscape, Outright is here to support leadership in districts responding to pushback, seeking best practices, and wanting more resources and skills to truly build districts that are welcoming to all. This is a VSA member benefit.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sports and Activities

The grant has helped strengthen pre-existing and ongoing efforts in the area of sports and activities. Specifically, the grant has helped to fund the anti-hate poster contest cash awards and distribution of the winning poster to all schools, fund professional learning for athletic directors, and supplement the funding for DEI focused content at the student-athlete conference in 2022. In partnership with the Vermont School Athletic Directors Association (VSADA) and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Activities subcommittee (founded in the winter of 2021), the VPA has taken the following actions and will continue to advance these efforts going forward in conjunction with DEI subcommittee leadership:

• The Pregame Statement to be read and/or posted before each event
• Reporting a Concern Form, and data sharing and analysis for intervention
• NFHS Implicit Bias Training, requirement for all coaches and officials beginning each sports season,
• The Anti-Hate Student Poster Contest (Spring 2022)
• VPA, Guide to Good Sportsmanship, 2022-23

These efforts are examples of some of the actions that have evolved from the monthly DEI in Activities meetings which review and recommend improvements to policies, procedures, professional learning, and much more in the areas of interscholastic sports and student activities.

Vermont School Board Association Student Intern

VSBA was very fortunate to have a summer intern in 2022. Addie Lentzner graduated from Arlington Memorial High School in June and spent the summer taking a deeper dive into the importance of equity initiatives in Vermont public education. A report and presentation, titled “Addressing the Correlation Between Income, Race, and Student Achievement,” was delivered to the VSBA Board of Directors. Addie’s analysis highlighted the correlation between income, race and student achievement. Her article in the VSBA’s Fall Newsletter provided board members with practical factors to consider when developing policy and serves as a blueprint for board work in this area.

School Board Policy Review in Support of Equity, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion

The VSBA/VSBIT policy team develops, reviews, and updates model policies in response to changes in law or in rule, and also as members’ needs arise. During the equity grant period, the VSBA facilitated collaboration between the VSBA/VSBIT policy team and an equity consultant from Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity to accomplish the review of 11 model policies through an equity lens. All revised model policies have been issued and can be found in the VSBA model policy manual.

Subgrant Award to the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont

In October of 2022, Our Associations collaborated with the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont to provide one-time funding of $6,300 for the planning, delivery, and post-meeting distribution of resources of a summit. The 12/8/22 summit is to gather active Vermont educators and stakeholders together to discuss and build sample resources (e.g. teacher lesson plans) for the implementation of an anticipated revision of Vermont’s Educational Quality Standards (EQS) as led by the ACT 1 Working Group.

Vermont School Board Resources, Training, and Support

In early November 2022, over 20 community stakeholders from various organizations across the state – including VSBA, VSA, and VPA – came together for a two-day workshop titled “Leading for Equity.” This workshop was led by the Arizona School Board Association and walked participants through some of the resources, sequences of learning, and activities that they have implemented in Arizona. Along with feedback from a broad stakeholder group, that training and its corresponding resources will inform a Vermont School Board Association version of an equity framework for boards and will lead to the development of equity-focused specific resources for Vermont’s school district governing boards in their work to ensure that each and every student is supported in their educational journey.

Related Initiatives and Resources

The following updates and resources are not direct investments from Vermont Community Foundation’s Welcoming, Equitable and Antiracist Communities Recovery Initiative but do have significant overlap.

Act 1 of 2019 Ethnic and Social Equity Studies Standards Update

In 2019 the Legislature passed Act 1, a law to establish ethnic & social equity studies standards in Vermont schools. Act 1 established a working group to “review standards for student performance adopted by the State Board of Education and…recommend to the State Board updates and additional standards to fully recognize the history, contributions, and perspectives of ethnic groups and social groups.” VSBA, VSA, and VPA have sat on the Working Group since its sunset, with Associate Executive Directors Chelsea Myers (VSA) and Mike McRaith (VPA) serving on the Education Quality Standards Subcommittee. After a long and collaborative process, the Act I Working Group submitted proposed revisions of the Educational Quality Standards (EQS) to the Vermont State Board of Education.

The draft EQS currently sits with the State Board Education Quality Standards Rule Update Committee as the Committee hears testimony from stakeholders before moving the rules to the State Board in its entirety. The EQS revisions will be subject to the formal rulemaking processes of the State Board. In the meantime, the Associations have been co-presenting with Act 1 Working Group Chair Amanda Garces and Co-Chair Mark Hage to stakeholders across the state, first at the Vermont School Boards Association/Vermont Superintendents Association Annual Conference (presentation slides) and later to educators at the Annual Rowland Foundation Conference (presentation slides).

Model Policy on Nondiscriminatory Mascots and School Branding

Act 152 of 2022 outlined the intent of the General Assembly to “ensure that all Vermont schools provide positive and inclusive learning environments for all students by eliminating the use of discriminatory school branding, which undermines the educational experiences of members of all communities and perpetuates negative stereotypes. All Vermont students should feel safe and welcome while enrolled in a Vermont school.” As required by Act 152, the Secretary of the Agency of Education has issued a model policy on nondiscriminatory mascots and school branding. Under Act 152 (codified as 16 V.S.A. § 568), a board of a public school or an approved independent school is required to develop and ensure implementation of a nondiscriminatory school branding policy that must be at least as comprehensive as the model policy, which includes administrative responsibilities and a process for complaints.

The deadline for school boards to adopt their policy is January 1, 2023. School boards must review the district’s school branding in place at the time the policy is adopted to ensure compliance with the policy. VSBA has added this new, required model policy (F2) to our model policy manual (new VSBA model policy). The substance of the AOE model policy and the VSBA model policy is identical.

Community Navigator Pilot Program

The VPA is excited to be one of nine partners in the Community Navigator Pilot Program that is to support BIPOC, Women, and Rural areas with additional support for small business knowledge and innovation. As part of the program, the VPA helped distribute $65,000 in “mini-monies” directly to school programs (related press release, April 2022) around the state.

Equity Problems of Practice Consultancy Meetings

As a part of the ongoing commitment to addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion, the VSBA, VPA, VSA, conduct equity problems of practice consultancy meetings. Each organization has opportunities to bring a given policy, procedure, issue, or process to the group of staff at the Associations for collective feedback using an equity lens and consultancy protocol.

Affinity Spaces and Networking Opportunities

The Vermont education community has multiple opportunities for networking and affinity spaces related to equity, inclusion, and belonging. Connection and relationships is one of the most important parts of this work. Please ensure that you and your learning community are aware of the opportunities to connect with others around the state.

Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent Networking Spaces

The Leadership in Equity and Anti-Racism Drop-In is a virtual space held for superintendents to share experiences, resources, and problems of practice in advancing educational equity in their systems each month. This is a VSA member benefit for superintendents and assistant superintendents.

Nationally, women are underrepresented in the superintendency and face unique challenges, including both explicit and implicit biases on the job. The Women in the Superintendency Network is new this year for VSA superintendents who identify as women to gather, network, and discuss leadership challenges and opportunities.

In Support of Educational Leaders of Color in Vermont

“A Place of Our Own”- An Affinity Group for Vermont Administrators of Color (a VPA member benefit). This group provides an opportunity for BIPOC administrators, working in predominantly white schools, to come together and share experiences, learn from and support each other through triumphs and challenges. The sharing of stories, experiences, ideas, successes and lots of laughter, provide a place for healing and growth that allows for racial equity transformation. Additionally the affinity group has become a wonderful place to network, make state-wide connections, as well as providing leadership and guidance on issues of educational equity. The group is facilitated by Bonnie Johnson-Aten, long-time educational leader in the Burlington School District and beyond. The group can be connected with by emailing Bonnie Johnson-Aten bjaten@bsdvt.org

In Support of LGBTQ+ Educational Leaders in Vermont

“A Place of Our Own”- An Affinity group for LGBTQIA+ Administrators (a VPA member benefit). This group provides an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ administrators and athletic directors to come together and share experiences, learn from and support each other. The sharing of stories, experiences, ideas, successes, challenges, and lots of laughter, provide a safe and secure place. This group has found that similar issues come up, no matter where the work is in Vermont. Additionally, this affinity space has become a wonderful place to network and make state-wide connections, as well as provide leadership and guidance on LGBTQIA+ issues. The group is facilitated by Kevin Dirth, former Superintendent of the Maple Run Unified Schools and long-time educator in Vermont. You can connect by emailing Kevin at: kad43@aol.com

Vermont Education Equity Collective

In the 2021-22 school year, the VPA and VSA helped connect equity coordinators and related roles from districts and schools around the state in a monthly drop-in. The group is now called the Vermont Education Equity Collective (VEEC) and has meetings planned for the 2022-23 school year. If your school or district has someone working as an equity coordinator, please connect them by emailing either Wilmer Chavarria at wchavarria@mymtsd-vt.org and/or Erin Maguire at emaguire@ewsd.org.

Vermont Educators of Color Association

The Vermont Educators of Color Association in their own words: “A grassroots group working to build relationships and make change for educators of color in Vermont. We are creating a space to gather, connect, and heal!” This group is available to help support all educators of color in Vermont.” Their work includes their recently developed Vision Document for Sustaining Educators of Color in VT (which includes contact information).

Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network

The Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network in their own words: “We are students from all over Vermont joining together for racial equity and justice in all VT schools. With our voices, we can and will make a difference. We hope to undertake projects to actively make changes in our schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade, educate ourselves and our communities about anti-racism, promote honest dialogue and ensure the voices of students and educators of color are heard.”

Education Justice Coalition of Vermont

The Education Justice Coalition of Vermont in their own words: “We are a statewide coalition led by a multicultural and multigenerational group including: people of color from various racial and ethnic groups, anti-poverty, disability rights advocates, and LGBTQIA advocates. Our coalition includes elders, students, parents, educators, and organizations. Our coalition is led by a group of core members and receives partnership and wisdom from advisors and organizational coalition partners.”

Resources

The number of resources available to school communities in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion is vast. We encourage members to network, reach out, and seek learning and understanding well beyond what is listed below.

Archived VPA/VSA/VSBA Webinars

• Supporting Equity – A Webinar for Vermont Education Leaders with Insight Education Group (March 2022)
• Migrant Students: Challenges, Barriers and Best Practices: Webinar (February, 2022)

Equity Audits

Educational organizations conduct equity audits to understand assets and growth areas related to providing students with equitable opportunities and access. Ideally, an equity audit process consists of a comprehensive review of a district’s quantitative and qualitative data. Here is a sample equity audit tool for consideration:

• MAEC, Equity Audit Tool

Educational Leaders

• National Association of Elementary School Principals, Racial Equity Task Force
• National Association of Secondary School Principals, Position Statements & Leadership Networks (Affinity Spaces)
• The VPA regularly updates professional learning opportunities, resources, and related information on their equity initiative webpage.
• TimeToAct-2021. How Superintendents Keep Equity at the Center of their Leadership
• Equity in a Divided Community, Talking Points for Leaders

School Boards

Reimagining School Board Leadership: Actions for Equity (August, 2021) and Reimagining School Board Leadership: Actions for Equity Supplemental Guide. Starting the Conversation (August 2021). This resource “was a collaboration between NSBA’s Dismantling Institutional Racism in Education (DIRE) initiative and Center for Safe Schools and focused on acknowledging and understanding current events and the historical issues of systemic racism in America. This resource established a call for school boards to rise to the current challenges our school systems are facing to transform public education, with a focus on equitable access to world-class education for every student.”

Diversifying the Educator Workforce Efforts/Resources

• The Rowland Foundation, Diversifying the Educator Workforce (DEW) Grants starting in January 2023.
• Brookings Institute, low retention, diversity among school principals sparks need for long-term strategies, this article has several resources and recommendations including some recent research on strategies for diversifying the educator workforce with internal, local pipelines (November, 2022)
• Vision Document for Sustaining Educators of Color in VT (as developed by the Vermont Educators of Color Association (spring, 2022)
• Diversifying the Educator Workforce Collaborative New England Regional Landscape Snapshot (March 2022)
• New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC) Task Force on Diversifying the Educator Workforce & Related Resources (2019-20).

Last Tuesday, October 25th, Governor Scott held a joint press conference with the Department of Labor and the McClure Foundation to announce Vermont’s Highest-Demand Promising Jobs, the 2023-2024 edition. This annual report shares a list of the 50 most promising jobs in Vermont over the next 10 years. In this edition, the #1 highest-demand promising job in Vermont for the next 10 years–by quite a large margin, is teacher.

The news that teaching is in high demand does not come as a surprise to the education field, yet it does underscore the very real short-term and long-term human resources needed in our public schools. Recruiting and retaining school employees has always been a challenge, particularly in the most rural areas of Vermont. Now, this issue has gone from challenge to crisis. Investing in the Vermont educator workforce is a triple investment in that it 1) provides its own high quality jobs for communities, 2) is necessary for teaching all the other roles that are in key demand (nurses, construction, etc.), 3) ensures strong schools so that Vermont remains a desirable destination for young families. As the report states:

Teaching […] is the promising job associated with the greatest number of openings. It’s a profession that makes other professions possible, not just because teachers prepare young people for work as adults but because when schools are open, our economy is open.

A Few Examples of the Impact of Shortages

● Substitutes, Bus Drivers, & Paraeducators: Public school systems around the state are reporting significant shortages in all the roles that help make schools go. In addition to the shortages in special educators and counselors, shortages in substitutes, bus-drivers, and paraeducators have led to some schools having to cancel school during high rates of staff sickness. There have also been many morning bus pick-ups canceled at the last minute and extracurriculars that need to be rescheduled or canceled. The entire system is being stretched thinner and thinner in its effort to serve students and families well.

● Higher Needs with Fewer People: The impact of COVID-19, inflation, childhood poverty, lack of available housing and addiction are complex problems that come to fruition in the daily lives of students. Student anxiety, depression, truancy, and destructive student behavior are increasing as schools work hard to provide students with proactive and responsive services. Schools are trying to help students with significant mental health challenges through shortages of key roles and overwhelmed community partners. Schools’ mental health, emergency health, and family services partners are experiencing the same human resources shortages, leading to schools simply triaging situations as best they can–despite being short-handed themselves.

● Turnover of Leadership: Vermont schools have had a very high turnover rate in school leaders. The Vermont Principals’ Association saw an increase from the more typical 20% turnover rate to nearly 33% this year. Burnout from the challenges that shortages cause are a significant part of that turnover.

What Would Help?

● Apply now: If you have ever considered being a coach, official, bus-driver, paraeducator, teacher, or subbing in schools–we need you, please apply and pursue these pathways!

● Name the issue publicly: During the recent press conference, Governor Scott and the Department of Labor seemingly went out of their way to avoid saying that, teacher, was the #1 promising job listed in the report. The long-held position that we have a “shrinking student population with rising costs” is short-sighted and lacks nuance to the reality of what Vermont currently needs. Respect for the educator role has been diminished in several ways over the years but fundamentally–the role needs respect, a secure pension, and reasonable wages. Young people can see what teachers are experiencing and thus fewer and fewer are choosing that career for themselves, with the national pipeline for educators down 50% (!), making this a serious issue both at the national level and here in Vermont.

● Dedicate resources: It is time to dedicate resources at the Agency of Education and the Department of Labor to develop a comprehensive educator recruitment and retainment campaign with investments in the short and long-term. A focused sprint team could help ensure efforts are synchronized and not duplicitous around the state. We are grateful for the recent focused attention on special education and we also need a broader campaign with commitment to state leadership for the scattered and localized efforts in Diversifying the Educator Workforce. These are important and practical steps for increasing the educator workforce generally while also addressing Vermont’s clear need to diversify the educator workforce.

● Licensing remains cumbersome with a clunky online system and frustrating barriers for existing and potential educators. The pathway to licensure and renewal in Vermont needs to be clear, accessible, and well supported to help with this shortage. The pathways to becoming a licensed Vermont educator should be well promoted and communicated for recent graduates, people considering becoming an educator, and for educators considering moving to Vermont.

Steven Dellinger-Pate, U-32 Principal and 2021 Vermont High School Principal of the Year, is a board member for the Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation and is a member of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. He writes,

I am glad to see the Department of Labor and McClure Foundation report highlight the need for teachers in Vermont. One of the goals of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, is to provide training and education so we can develop high-demand career pathways. That training and education begins in our elementary, middle, and high schools and is led by highly-qualified teachers. In order to grow our overall workforce in Vermont, we need to ensure that we have the teaching force necessary to make that happen. I look forward to continuing my work with the Governor, the Agency of Education, and the Workforce Development Board to grow the educator workforce.

The latest Vermont Promising Jobs Report makes the necessary investments in the educator workforce undeniable. We know that schools are the center of community-building for each and every community in Vermont. Educators are democracy and economic builders. Thriving public schools serve as the bedrock from which strength and stability are built. A passive state leadership response to these shortages or worse, a “right sizing” outlook is not only hurting students and communities currently, it will have lasting negative effects for decades to come. As articulated in Vermont’s constitution, the right to a public education is not up for debate and thus addressing the educator workforce shortage must happen in order to ensure this public good can serve as the foundation that Vermont needs going forward.

In 2021, the VPA released a public statement that began… “No one should be demeaned, marginalized, or subjected to dehumanizing identity attacks, no matter their sexual orientation, the amount of money they have, the languages they speak, their gender, their age, their abilities, or the color of their skin.” This statement remains steadfastly true for the VPA as it does for our members and their school communities.

The increase in national media attention on the topic of transgender students and student-athletes includes the recent story originally aired on 9/28/22 by a Vermont-run media outlet. That story featured Randolph Union, and it was picked up at the national level over the following weekend causing significant impact and disruption for the school and students. The 10/4/22 VTDigger article titled, “Family of transgender student in Randolph faces ‘wildfire of bigotry’ following media coverage of locker room use” provides an overview of the initial story and the ensuing national interest and local impact.

The VPA reiterates its support not only of the school leaders in Randolph and its student-athletes, but for each Vermont school leader and each of the students they work with. Supporting transgender student-athletes is not only a core part of building an inclusive community for each student to grow and thrive, it is also a clear expectation by Vermont state law(s) in the Agency of Education Best Practices, and in VPA Policy regarding transgender student athletes.

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA), Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA), and Vermont Principals ’Association (VPA) have awarded $50,000 in mini-grants to local efforts that advance educational equity as part of the Welcoming, Equitable, and

Anti-Racist Communities Initiative of the Vermont Community Foundation’s VT COVID- 19 Response Fund.

The program attracted 41 applications from around the state that demonstrated considerable commitment to educational equity and antiracism in local school communities. Five applications were selected at the $5,000 level and an additional 10 applications were selected to receive $2,500 grants.

The goal of the equity mini-grants is to provide direct and meaningful support to local changemakers across the state. Representative projects include affinity spaces for BIPOC students and educators; strategic planning for support of LGBTQ+ students; partnerships with local small businesses, such as the Clemmons Family Farm; and integration of Abenaki culture and history into educational programming. “Few things are more central to a sense of community than the idea of belonging,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “As Vermont evolves, we are committed to the role of the Community Foundation and its fundholders in fostering the idea of belonging. That work begins in our schools, where our young people spend the most time.”

VSBA, VSA, and VPA provided the equity mini-grants as part of the Associations ’larger efforts to promote equity, antiracism, and inclusion in communities statewide. That work was supported with an initial grant of $150,000 from the Vermont Community

Foundation’s VT COVID-19 Response Fund in January 2021 and an additional $100,000 grant in January 2022 from the same fund as well as the Fountain Fund

housed at the Vermont Community Foundation. In addition to the recently issued mini- grants, the grants are supporting educational policy review and revisions, equity

consultation for school leaders and school boards, and professional learning opportunities for staff and membership.

For more information, you can visit the given association websites at vtvsba.org, vtvsa.org, and vpaonline.org

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The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.

The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information. For information on our COVID-19 response, visit vtcovid19response.org.

MONTPELIER, Vt. (Apr. 8, 2022) – The Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) will distribute a total of $65,000 in mini-monies this month to 13 Vermont schools/districts for a variety of special projects. The mini-monies program is a part of the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) and the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA).

Funded (in part) through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the CNPP uses a “hub and spoke” model, with the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) as the hub, and VPA as one of nine spoke organizations that create collective impact throughout the state for targeted populations including BIPOC, rural, veterans, and women.

“There were 21 applications for the mini-monies program,” said Mike McRaith, Assistant Executive Director of the VPA. “The applications were submitted from all around the state and demonstrated incredible interest and commitment to innovation in our school communities.”

By distributing the mini-monies in increments of $2,500, $5,000, and $7,500, the VPA can help with a wider distribution of promising projects all over Vermont. The funding may be used during the 2021-22 or the 2022-23 school year.

With mini-monies ranging from $2,500 to $7,500, the recipients are:

• Arlington Memorial High School
• Burlington City School District
• Cold Hollow Career Center, Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union
• Champlain Valley Union High School
• Hazen Union School
• Hazen Union High School
• Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union
• Lamoille North Supervisory Union
• Vermont Adult Learning High School
• Milton Town School District
• Mount Abraham Unified
• Orange Southwest School District
• Stafford Technical Center
• Spaulding High School, BUUSD
• Windham Southeast
• Winooski School District

The mini-monies will fund a wide range of projects. To cite just a few:

Spaulding High School will continue their collaboration with Generator, Champlain Valley Educator Development Center (CVEDC), with their work-based learning partners with an emphasis on Design Thinking, Engineering and Entrepreneurship. The project will expose students to diverse workplaces and cultures, fostering a supportive community for women and BIPOC students.

Burlington’s BTC Culinary Arts will expand its pop-up restaurant sites. The “Champlain Café” will reach more women and BIPOC, as well as areas that are more rural. Locations to offer various themed meals via the pop-up restaurant would be towns such as Milton, Richmond, Hinesburg, Winooski, just to name a few. This would expand the awareness of the program to prospective students. Funding will cover vender permits, marketing materials, and compensation for a truck driver.

Orange Southwest School District/Randolph Technical and Career Center (RTCC) is working on a community outreach project involving the building of tiny homes. They plan to donate a tiny home to a worthy cause and sell another to have seed money to continue the project. This idea started out of a desire to help those in need, specifically those who are looking for affordable housing in rural Vermont with a focus on low-income populations and veterans.

Hazen’s Pathways program enables students to create and design their own IBL (Independent Based Learning) course. The mini-monies funding provides students, especially those living in rural areas, BIPOC, and young women with materials and tools to develop and produce a product for market. Each individual will have the opportunity to meet business owners who specialize in the individual’s area of interest. The Community Navigator Mini-Monies Program will introduce a minimum of 10-20 students to an authentic deep dive into creating, marketing, and promoting their individualized product.

“The VPA mini-monies program reflects the vision and the mission of the Community Navigator Pilot Program, starting with our next generation of Vermont entrepreneurs,” said Linda Rossi, State Director, VtSBDC. “We are excited to see these innovative projects begin as a result of teacher and student collaboration throughout our state.”

To learn more about the Community Navigator Pilot Program, please visit https://www.vtsbdc.org/community-navigator-pilot-program-cnpp/ or www.sba.gov/navigators.

More about the Community Navigator Program (CNPP) As part of a national initiative introduced by President Biden and Vice President Harris, Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) was chosen as one of 51 grantees nationwide to be part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program. According to the SBA, the Community Navigator Pilot Program is designed to “reduce barriers that all small businesses — including those owned by disadvantaged groups such as veterans, women and those from rural communities —often face in accessing critical support.”

The Community Navigator Pilot Program uses a “hub and spoke” model, with VtSBDC as the hub, and nine spoke organizations that create collective impact. Together, they leverage partnerships with deeply trusted community-based organizations to help small businesses navigate government resources and tap into critical resources, according to the SBA’s plan. The “spoke” partner organizations are: • Vermont Law School (VLS) • Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) Financial Futures Program • Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) • Center for Women and Enterprise (CWEVT) • Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) • Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) • Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) • Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT POC) • Main Street Alliance-Vermont (MSA-VT)

A link to the project and activities being planned and services available from each of the nine spokes is here: Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) | Vermont Small Business Development Center (vtsbdc.org)